


so basically i love you (and that's kinda gay)

by orphan_account



Series: edling week 2018 [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Edling Week 2018, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 06:17:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14949188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: a life-changing road trip told in snapshots.or: ed calls ling at 3 in the morning and demands that they go on the best road trip of their lives before college splits them up for good(edling week day two: road trip au)





	so basically i love you (and that's kinda gay)

**Author's Note:**

> if you couldn't tell by the summary, the scenes are in order

It’s 3 in the morning when Ling gets the most life-changing phone call in his life. 

 

“Hey.” A gruff voice says over the phone. “It’s Ed, you awake?”

 

Ling crawls out his nest of pillows and comforters to reach his phone. It takes him 4 tries to get it up to his ear without dropping it or falling over. “What do you want, Ed? It’s 3 in the morning and I have to go to a business conference with my dad in the morning. 

 

“No, you don’t.” Ling can practically see the grin on his face, sly and conniving. That smile of his has gotten Ling in detention at least 24 times a semester because he can never say no to it. 

 

‘What do you say we go on a road trip? Just the two of us, we can go anywhere you want. Al’s off at his fancy medical college until December, school’s out, and neither of our parental figures are around enough to even notice we’d be gone. ”

 

This takes Ling from asleep to fully awake. He’d been meaning to get out of the house since he got in it. His dad was always too busy overseas, his mom was in rehab, and Mei barely came over when she wasn’t hanging out with her girlfriend. He’d practically exhausted everything there was to do in the house, including all the food resources. Ubereats was probably concerned that they got the same address every day, same time. 

 

He had the money for a road trip. Correction,  _ his dad  _ had the money for a road trip.

 

“I’ll do it.”, he says quickly. Edward celebrates on his end of the phone, and Ling can hear the squeak of his ancient desk chair as he spins around in joy. 

 

“Ok! I’ll be there in like 25 minutes. Pack anything you think you’ll need, because once we hit the road, I don’t plan on coming back for a while.” Ed hung up quietly, a contrast to how he does everything else. 

 

That worried Ling, who usually spent half his life worrying about Ed as a hobby. Nevertheless, he slid out of bed and started packing things into the duffel bag under his bed. They’d probably buy things like toothpaste and the such on the road, so there wouldn’t be any reason to take some with him. All he’d most likely need were clothes and a good amount of money. On a second thought, Ling stole down into his father’s office and procured a bottle of his favorite whiskey. It was their last trip together before college, so they might as well go out with a bang. A few seconds later, Ling was sitting near his door with a stuffed duffel bag, containing clothes, some necessities, a $500 bottle of aged whiskey, and a guitar case slung across his back. He’d swished some mouthwash around in his mouth, wrangled his bedhead into a presentable ponytail. It was riveting, waiting for the best opportunity in your life to pull up in a dilapidated, highlighter yellow Volkswagen Bus. 

 

Just as he pulled up an old level of Candy Crush, said car groans its way into his driveway, out of place among the fancy cars that Ling’s father refused to put in their garage, even though they definitely had space for them all. He liked reminding anyone that came over that he had the money, the power, the opportunity to ruin their lives. Ed’s Volkswagen has to be one of the few places his poison can’t touch.

 

Ling throws open the door, his guitar bouncing against his hip as he bounds down the stairs of his porch. Ed practically hangs out of the window of his car, leather-clad arm balanced on the windowsill. The smile on his face could rival a lightbulb superstore, even in the dark.

 

“Hurry up, get in!”, he says excitedly. Ling grins back at him, going over to the passenger seat and jumping in. 

 

Ed turns to him, his grin stretching the bandages on his face. “Morning, sleepyhead. You ready for the best adventure of your life, Ling Yao?” In the moonlight, Edward practically glows, and the lighting in the cab of the car isn’t doing Ling’s heart any favors. 

 

“My dad is gonna be so pissed when he comes back tomorrow morning.”, Ling says as Ed turns the keys in the car’s ignition and they pull out of The Yao family driveway. Ling stashes his bag and guitar in the back seat and immediately goes for Ed’s aux cord. 

 

Edward laughs. “You were serious about that conference shit tomorrow?” They take a sharp turn and his elbow practically digs into Ling’s side. “What’s he gonna do to you when he finds out you’re gone?”

 

Ling shrugs. “I don’t know. This is the first time any of my friends have whisked me off on a life-changing road trip at 5 in the morning.” The roads aren’t as full as they would be had they left later in the morning, with all the traffic of people commuting to and from their jobs. That means Ed’s free to make as many driving mishaps as he wants, or as anyone with sense calls it, him driving normally. The street lights lining the city dot the sidewalk like pearls, shining with an artificial light as their car zooms by. They make it out into the highway in no time, Ed slowing down as they cruise down the road. Ling rolls the window down and relishes the feeling of the cold, early morning air on his face. 

 

Ed lets his gaze slide from the road to where Ling leans on the side of the window. An easy smile graces his face, and his eyes are closed from either bliss and exhaustion. He wishes he could feel the way Ling does, slide through every one of his problems like Jello, 

 

“I got into a fight with my dad last night.”, Ed says quietly. His eyes settle on the road in front of them, no longer focused on the center of his world. “He didn’t hurt me or anything, but he said some shit that really got to me, y’know. I yelled at him because that’s all I really can do, then went out and fought some kids from Dante’s Cross to make myself feel better about being a wuss. Spent the better part of the night on a park bench.”

 

Ling shoots up from the window, his eyes telling a million stories. “ _ Gods _ , Ed, you fought kids from Dante’s Cross Academy?! Are you stupid?” His hands come up like he wants to hold Edward’s face in them. “Sleeping on a park bench?! How come you didn’t call me or Winry, or anyone for fuck’s sake?!”

 

“M’not stupid.”, Ed bites out. “It’s been hard, with my dad always out drinking or doing god knows what without Al to keep me company. Without you, I guess I just needed to feel  _ something _ .” His hands tighten on the steering wheel, straining against his gloves. “I told him how hard it was without Mom around, and he just sat there like he always does, a bottle of something in his hands as he looks at her damn shrine in the corner.” Ed feels his whole body begin to shake as tears bubble at the corners of his eyes. “It’s been  _ so  _ hard without her here, I feel like anyone barely pays me any attention. So I go out, do stupid shit like you said. It's the only way anyone'll ever pay any attention to me.”

 

A green sign catches Ling’s eye; gas stations at the next exit. 

 

“Hey.”, he says softly. Ed looks at him out of the corner of his eye. 

 

“There’s a gas station at the next exit. How about I drive, and you get some sleep? We’ll get snacks there too, whatever you want.”

 

Edward nods. They pull into the next lane and drive up to the gas station. Ling wordlessly takes the keys out of the ignition as he fills up the car while Edward goes inside with a wad of cash in his hands.

 

Ling watches him go, and wonders when his friend's shoulders began to slump so low.

 

"I was so worried.", he says under his breath, then focuses on filling up the car

 

* * *

 

It’s the first day into their road trip, and Ed’s dragged Ling off to some small little ocean town to the east of Amestris as their first stop. 

 

“Isn’t it beautiful?!”, Ed yells, arms thrown out wide as the two of them stand on the beach. Their shoes are hastily thrown to the side, both boys opting to dig their feet into the sand. 

 

Ling sighs, sitting down on a nearby rock. “We see the ocean all the time in Xing. My father only moved us here to Amestris because he was sick of it. 

 

Ed whirls around, a scowl on his face. “How can anyone get sick of the ocean?”, he yells. “It’s the  _ ocean,  _ for Pete’s sake! My mom said when she came from Ishval to Resembool, it was her favorite place in the world. I’ve never seen it before, and she was right!”

 

Ling watches as he runs into the water, fumbling with the waterproof covering on his prosthetic. His giggles of childish delight fill the air, scaring off a few seagulls as he runs around in the water. 

 

Ling rolls up his pants and goes to join him. They splash around in the water, effectively wetting nearly every article of clothing on their persons. Both dreading the eventful trek back to the car in their underwear, they spread out on a flat rock, letting the afternoon sun bake them into comfort. 

 

“You’ve never seen the ocean before until now?”, Ling asks, his saltwater sticky shirt abandoned next to him. 

 

Ed shakes his head. “Amestris is completely landlocked, so I’m surprised we found this little town with so much coastline.”

 

Ling tests his next question on the tip of his tongue. “Your mom.”, he asks. “You said she’d never seen the ocean until she came here. What was she like?”

 

Edward’s eyes glisten with melancholy. “My mom was one of the best people in the world. She made the best chicken curry every Tuesday, which happened to be the days I had Mustang’s classes, that old bastard. She was always singing whatever, and I remember she always smelled like bread.” He wipes a hand across his face. “Fuck, my mom was one of the best people in the world, even when she got cancer.”

 

“You sound like you were really close to her.” Ling nearly smacks his forehead.  _ Of course he was, you fucking idiot, it's his mother! What do you think he was just saying? _

 

“I was.”, Ed says. He doesn’t cry this time, they’ve had enough of that. “I think she would’ve liked you.”

 

Ling squawks and rolls off the rock. He gets a mouthful of sand and skinned knees as punishment for being a gay disaster. “Y-You really think so?”

 

Edward laughs, the setting sun creating a halo around his golden hair. “I’m sure of it.”

 

* * *

 

“Ling,  _ shit,  _ slow the fuck down!” Ed grips the front of the driver’s seat, thankful he stayed asleep halfway through Ling’s horrible driving. “You running from the cops or something?” He sneaks a peek out at the cars behind them, but it’s all just minivans and smaller cars.

 

Ling swerves quickly, narrowly avoiding the stopped car in front of them. Edward practically flies into the left side of the car, hitting the door with a loud  _ oof.  _ They speed up the rest of the way, bypassing cars and motorcycles alike. 

 

“I’m never letting you drive again.”, Ed groans, rubbing his bruising shoulder. “Were you a getaway driver in another life or something, because  _ Jesus Christ  _ I’m in pain.” He climbs up into the front seat, buckling himself in as he settles. 

 

“At least I get us places. You just drive fast because you think it looks cool.” He flicks on the turn signal, which is something unheard of in an Elric vehicle. and goes into the next lane. “If anything, I’m the more logical out of us, plus you need your sleep. You’re short enough as it is.” 

 

Ed flicks Ling’s guitar pick at him, and it hits its owner square in the neck. Ling makes a noise in between a choke and a squawk, rubbing the spot on his neck where Ed hit him. 

 

“You know I’m lactose intolerant, you stupid asshole.” Ed scowls, propping his feet up on the dashboard. “The doctor said there’s no way I’m getting taller past college.

 

Ling laughs. “Yeah, and then all the tall college kids are gonna have to deal with this kindergartener showing them up in all their classes. Imagine, a fucking smurf giving you the worse burn of your life in your theoretical physics class when he can’t even see the board.”

 

The mental image of it all makes Ed burst into laughter. “God, I’m not even that short, but that’s so fucking funny.” His boots thud against the dash as his body shakes with laughter. 

 

“You alright over there. Ed?” Ling slows down, prepared to pull over and give Ed mouth-to-mouth in case he starts hyperventilating. “The joke, it wasn’t even that funny.”

 

“ _Shut_ _up_.”, Ed wheezes. “I just woke up and the sound of your fucking voice is going to kill me.” He shakes with laughter for a few minutes, which dies down into quiet wheezes. “Oh my god, keep driving, there’s a Wendy’s up ahead and I’m fucking starving.”

 

“God, same.”, Ling moans. They haven’t eaten since this morning, and that was stale donut holes and gas station coffee. Actual, greasy, fast food sounds so good right now Ling thinks he might die. “Alright, hang on, we’re going in.” They get off at the exit and pull up to the Wendy’s. Edward enthusiastically orders practically everything on the menu for the two of them to share, and they sit in the parking lot practically stuffing themselves. 

 

Edward stuffs a handful of fries in his mouth, licking the salt off as he goes. “Never have I ever appreciated your dad’s credit card before.”, he groans. “Food has never tasted so good.”

 

“Slow down there, tiger.” Ling reaches into their bag of food and pulls out a burger. “Remember, you’re still a growing child, so all this processed food is gonna stunt your growth.” He steals a handful of Ed’s fries, avoiding his swatting hands. “So, I’m gonna do you a solid and finish it off for you.”

 

“What?!”, Ed scoffs. “Try it, bastard!”

 

Ling stares at him, limp fries hanging from his lips like walrus tusks, and Edward decides he’s never loved someone more.

 

* * *

 

The car is gone when Ed and Ling come out of the gas station. It’s also raining, but one of those things is worse than the other. 

 

“We got fucking carjacked!”, Ed exclaims. “Fucking hell, my pills and shit were in there!” He nearly drops their groceries on the wet pavement. 

 

Ling thinks of the shit he left in there, his dad’s whiskey, his mom’s guitar. Both would be valuable if found and sold, god he’s such an idiot. 

 

“They couldn’t have gotten far, especially with the height you keep the seat at.”, Ling jokes weakly. It gets him a small laugh out of Ed, but the hard reality sets in; they’re two teenagers in a town they’ve never seen, with no car, and nothing but their phones, school ID’s, and 4 bags of useless junk food. 

 

“Let’s find a police station.”, Ed says, pulling his jacket closer to him. “The license plate is from Amestris, so they’ll most likely be able to trace it since we’re in a different city. 

 

They walk back into the gas station and ask for directions to the nearest police station. It’s a good 30 minutes away, and by the time they get there, both boys are soaking wet, and so are their snacks. 

 

“Our car got fucking stolen.”, Edward says to the first officer he sees. “It’s an old Volkswagen Bus, plate number is FMA03BH.” He slaps his license down on their desk. “Run it through your system, if you don't mind.”

 

“Please!”, Ling pipes up behind him. 

 

The officer takes Ed’s driver’s license and holds it up to the light. When he proves its real, he sits back in his chair and sighs. “Alright, kid. We’ll see what we can do, but you and your friends there are probably gonna have to wait a while. Head around back and see what Marci can do for you two. You both look like wet cats.”

 

Ling parts his soaking wet hair from where it covers his eyes. “Thank you, sir!” Edward grumbles his thanks, and they walk towards the back of the building.

 

“You sure know your way around a stolen car.”, Ling remarks.

 

Ed huffs. “Well, my bike always got stolen as a kid and _someone_ had to find it.”

 

As they turn a corner, a woman with curly hair takes a look at them and immediately sprints over to them. 

 

“Darius  sent y’all back here, didn’t he?”, she asks. The bright blue jewel in her front tooth sparkles in the light of the station.

 

Ed and Ling nod, the chill of the rain settling in their bones. 

 

“Well, good thing he did!”, she exclaims. “Gosh, y’all look worse than a cat who’s slipped and fallen in the milk jug. This ain’t even a police station; people just come down here because we get stuff done. And I’m just an intern, so I have no business talking to y’all this much.” She shoves a few towels into their hands, along with two pairs of sweatpants and shirts for the both of them. “We’ve got a shower ‘round back, now y’all go and wash up. I’ll get some cocoa ready while Darius gets y’all situated.” Marci practically pushes them down a hallway before she runs off again. 

 

Ling obviously doesn’t care about boundaries, Ed notices. He peels off his shirt as soon as they enter the locker room, clothes hitting the floor with a wet  _ slap.  _

 

“Uh, you’re going first?”, Edward stammers. Ling looks at him, completely shirtless with his hair down, and Ed fists his hands in the hem of his sweatshirt. 

 

“Yeah, I’d prefer to. If it’s alright with you, of course.”, Ling says. He moves to pick up a towel and the fucking muscles on his back ripple like disturbed water, and _where_ _ in the fuck did he get THOSE from? _

 

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead. I have to go and try to comb my hair out, so take your time.” He scoops up a towel and goes to find another shower. Once he does, he turns the water on its hottest setting and scrubs his skin pink. His prosthetics squeak as he maneuvers the shower without getting them any more we than they already are

 

_ Not now, not now, you cannot fucking like him,  _ the water beats into his back. 

 

Edward gets out of the shower in record time, combing through his mess of hair and leaving it down to dry. He towels off and bundles up in the clothes Marci gave them, relishing the feeling of dry cloth on his arms. Marci bundles him up in almost a dozen blankets and pushes a thermos of hot chocolate in his hands. 

 

“Go sit up front, now.”, she says. “It’s warmer up there, and I’ll send your little boo up there when he’s done too.” Edward blushes as he shuffles back to the front of the station. 

 

Darius stares at Ed as he sits down in one of the chairs. “Marci hit you with the full Southern hospitality, huh?”, he asks, turning back to his computer. 

 

“I think she managed to get socks on both of my feet.”, he remarks. They both laugh.

 

Ling comes out just as Ed’s dozing off, looking impossibly soft in a mustard yellow sweatshirt and pants. “Hey.”, he says, taking the chair next to Ed’s. 

 

Edward groans and leans his head on Ling’s shoulder. “No words. Only sleep.”

 

Ling laughs, slouching down so Edward can be more comfortable. He falls asleep as soon as his eyes fall shut.

 

Marci wakes them up a few hours later, waving the keys to Edward’s highlighter monstrosity in their faces. 

 

“Wakey wakey!”, she exclaims. “We found your car.”

 

Turns out someone had jacked the keys from Ed’s pockets while they were in the store and took off with the van. The station was only able to track them because they had tried to make a withdrawal from one of Ling’s credit cards and couldn’t get the pin right. 

 

Ling runs through everything he has once they open the van. Nothing’s been stolen; the whiskey is still buried in his duffel and his guitar is shoved gracefully under the back seat.

 

Marci and Darius send them off with a bunch of food and blankets, and Edward gives them his thanks. 

 

* * *

 

Ling’s favorite stop has to be the cultural festival going on in Resembool. 

 

“I can’t believe you miss this every year!”, Ling exclaims. They walk through town hand in hand, though Ed claims it’s because Ling would get lost as soon as he looked away.

 

They take food from various stands and vendors, people smiling as they recognize little Edward Elric walking through the streets. A group of older ladies looks at their joined hands and giggle, no doubt women that Edward knew when he was younger.

 

“God, everyone in this town is so fucking nosy.” Edward tears a piece of meat off his skewer. “I’ve only been gone for a few years.”

 

Ling smiles brightly. “They care about you, Ed. And it’s easy to see why.” He squeezes Ed’s hand in his. “Oh, look! Dancing!” He drags Edward through the crowd and they set their things down. One of the musicians asks for Ling’s guitar when she sees it with their things, and Ling reluctantly lets her use it. Edward immediately pulls Ling into a folk dance, surprisingly light on his feet for someone with a metal foot. They both grasp opposite ends of a ribbon, twirling and tugging each other along in the dance. People cheer them on, throwing flower petals and compliments alike. 

 

The music ends abruptly, with their faces inches apart from each other. The crowd erupts into applause, people bumping Edward and Ling as they move in for the new song. 

 

“There’s one more place I want to show you.”, Edward says, dragging Ling through the crowd. The pair grabs their things and makes their way past the festival. Ed slings his bag over his shoulders as he begins to climb up the side of a building. He turns to Ling and beckons him to follow. 

 

“C’mon, you gotta trust me.”, he whines. 

 

“I do,” Ling says.  _ With my life,  _ he doesn't say. Ling  climbs up after Edward, both boys dropping their bags to the floor once they reach the rooftop. 

 

Ling goes to unzip his bag and pulls out the whiskey, grateful he’d saved it all these days. Ed turns and eyeballs the glass bottle in his hands like it’s gold. 

 

“Whoa!”, he exclaims. “How’d you get that?!”

 

Ling grins and pops the top off like he’s seen his dad do so many times. “Stole it from my dad’s office before we left. I figured since it’s the last time we’re gonna be hanging out, we might as well make it a good one.”

 

He takes a swig from the bottle, makes a face, and passes it to Edward. It isn’t the first time he’s had alcohol, with all the business parties he’s been dragged along to, but it isn’t bad. 

 

“God, there’s still so much to do after this.”, Ed sighs. They leave this whiskey sitting in between them, no longer caught up on the adrenaline high that procuring alcohol provides. “I’m gonna be going out of the country for college, you know. Travel around the world, do some missionary work.”

 

Ling groans. “My dad’s gonna shove me into Harvard the first chance he gets. Hell, he thinks I’ve already applied!” He leans back on the roof, hands covering his eyes. “I don’t even know what I want to do once all this is over. Everybody wants me to do different things, but no one’s ever asked me what I want to do.”

 

“Come with me.” Edward says. He says everything with such raw power that it scares the fuck out of Ling every time. 

 

“What?!” Ling nearly rolls off the roof in surprise. “You want me to travel with you? For real?”

 

Edward nods. “Of course I do. It’ll be like spending an entire lifetime with my best friend.”

 

Ling’s heart breaks at the “best friend” comment, a pinching pain in his heart. 

 

“Can I kiss you?”, he blurts, damming the red flush on his face.

 

Edward turns a million different shades of pink, stopping to pull his sweater over his head. “You’re drunk.”, he says. “It’s the whiskey making you say that.”

 

Ling pouts. “We’ve had beers before, Ed, and I’ve said worse things than that. 

 

“You can.”, Ed says weakly. “I mean, if you want to. I'm not going to stop you, it won't kill me if you do.” He makes no move to remove himself from the sweater. 

 

“Ed~”, Ling sing-songs. ‘I can’t kiss you with your beautiful face in a sweater.”

 

Edward peeks his head out. “You think my face is beautiful?”

 

“The best face I’ve ever seen.”, Ling says in a very matter-of-fact tone. “No amount of alcohol could make me lie about that.” He cups his hands around Ed’s cheeks like he wanted to do all those days ago. Ed scrunches his nose up, the same way he does when he thinks about something too hard. 

 

“Relax, Ed.”, Ling whispers, bringing their lips together. 

 

Kissing your crush is about the best thing in the world, but kissing your best friend takes the cake.

 

“So, my dumb ass is going to take that as a yes, then.”, Ed says when they break for air, and Ling dissolves into uncontrollable giggles. He kisses Edward again, and somehow, it's better than their first one

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> wow am i even alive i pulled two all-nighters writing this: once for musical au, and again for this shit show bc my bastard brain wanted to switch RIGHT as i was going to bed
> 
> tumbl is blackeijirou...goodnight


End file.
